As we grow up through life we’re taught not to dance. Right?
Kids are born with something inside of them that makes them dance. There is no school, there are no teachers that train our toddlers to squat up and down or to twirl. And yet those two moves are standards among toddlers. It’s as if God has created children with those two moves embedded in the fiber of their being. And then, as they age, they learn that twirling is not a proper way to dance. They come to understand that the cool kids don’t squat up and down to the beat.
How come when I hear music I don’t automatically, without reserve, without thought begin bouncing my head and spinning in awkward circles until I trip over my own feet?
Maybe I will from this point on make the conscious choice to do that when I hear a beat that speaks to my heart. And maybe I will also cry when I don’t get what I want. And just maybe I’ll poop my pants.
Who’s with me!?

I spent a week in Germany with many of the preachers, missionaries, and teachers working in the churches there (well, of those seven days two of them were spent gallivanting around Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and France). They were very neat people, very genuine, very loving, and most importantly they encouraged us to run through their backyard naked (they had a sauna, the ground was covered in snow, what do you expect? And to my defense, I left my speedos on).
But my simple observation was that, sadly, on Sunday morning those churches looked and acted like the churches I visited in the South. If the people of Tulia, TX spoke German I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. It made me sad. Those people were converted to a culture of Christianity that was neither German nor Jewish. It was American.
Even in my work in Portugal there were times where I questioned whether we were introducing people to Jesus or to American culture. Often it seemed that the two were intimately woven together.
Like Paul, however, I can rejoice anytime the Good News is preached, but I still mourn what could have been…or better yet, I anticipate what still could be.
I’m no historian but I know that there was a long period of time when it was considered wrong to translate the Bible into different languages. How long will it be before it is normal to translate the Good News into different cultures? I will answer my own question: I think it is happening. I don’t have a good global perspective but I believe it is/has happened in Africa. And I see it happening in our own country where churches are starting to pop up that represent Jesus in a different American subculture. It’s beautiful. Imago Dei. Mars Hill. Renovatus (we’re getting there). Mosaic (both in LA and in Portland). Those are all churches that speak (or are learning to speak) the gospel in new and beautiful and creative and relevant and loving ways.
The American gospel sucks the life out of me. It’s not all bad, it serves/served a purpose, but it is not for me…and it’s not for Germans…or Portuguese…or Brazilians…or Croc wearing hippies. . He wasn’t a republican, he didn’t use Powerpoint in one single sermon, he didn’t sing the words to “I could sing of your love forever”, he didn’t speak English, he didn’t wear a tie.
We need Jesus. Raw. Loving. Honest. Relevant. Jesus

I’m no huge money nerd. To be honest I don’t have that much to play with. But because I am a server my wife and I must be more careful in some ways than the average family. One month I might make a couple thousand in tips while the next I might make a few hundred. It all depends on the sections that I’m in, the time of year, the number of nights I work, and the number of Canadians I serve (whats the difference between a canoe and a Canadian? Canoes tip!).
Anywho, so we have a small lump of cash that sits in our savings account to cover for the months when I make peanuts instead of dollars. It sits in our savings account that makes a whopping .79% interest on the dollar. Pretty sweet. Last year I think I made all of 1.25.
I write all that to say that we’ve found a new cool thing. There are banks now that are completely web based. They cut down on the overhead and pass on the savings to you. They come highly recommended by respectable money management nerds and are risky in no way. Now instead of making .79% we are making 6.0%! That’s 7.5 times more than we made in our regular savings account. We have full access to it, we can pull it out at any time. I know there are other ways to have your money work for you (Roth IRA’s, money markets, and such) but if you’re looking for a good ol’ free savings account (they even have checking) try it out at www.hsbcdirect.com
Who knows, instead of making $1.25 this year we’ll walk with nine bucks and some change.

In an age where image is everything where new drinks come and go more often than than the cars in my in-laws driveway. At a time where RC cola is all but dead as it clings to it’s meager existence at McMinamins and the Taco’s el Pastor joint on Fourth Plain blvd. How is it that Squirt has never revamped? Does anyone realize that there is a semi popular, long standing, good tasting drink named Squirt? Squirt? Seriously? I’m surprised that Pepsi doesn’t come out with a rival drink called Shart or Spew or Dribble. Squirt is quite possibly the worst named drink out there, yes, even worse than Coke’s Blak (I just don’t like the way it looks).
Here’s to you Squirt. You’ve endured through years and years of new and fantastic drinks being developed only to then fade away, all the while you stand strong with your weinerish little name. Well done. I shall drink to you tonight!